This is the 2nd course I have taken with professor Joseph, and he is an absolute gem. He is for sure an old-school professor who values attendance and respect in the classroom. He has a dry and witty sense of humor and he is so knowledgeable and passionate about the subject he teaches. Even if religious studies aren't your thing personally, I guarantee you that his class will be thought-provoking. The class breakdown is as follows--one midterm which is short terms/concepts based on class lectures, a 10-page research paper, and a final exam. I'm not going to downplay the exams, they're not difficult they're just dense concepts to memorize. The 10 page paper was a drag for sure, but I suggest just to start early (he does not grade these harshly just put in effort, offer a meaningful analysis and you're fine). The final exam tested students on about 40 concepts, again not hard just dense information and memorization overload. Be sure to write class notes thoroughly, he does not post class lectures to canvas, and he is super against phone usage in class (he perceives it as a sign of disrespect and I've seen him snap at students for it). He is such a cool professor and I've taken 3 classes with him and have gotten an A in each one. Put the work in, don't crame for the tests, and you'll be golden,

Honestly if you arent that interested in this topic I wouldn't take it. Can be very confusing without some prior knowledge of the Bible. It is a history class after all though, so you cant think about the class biblically. The lectures can be interesting but also quite annoying since it felt like 80% of the class was him answering students' questions that were not relevant to the midterm/ final. I would suggest doing a class study guide with everyone that's what helped me pass. ATTEND EVERY CLASS get any points you can just in case you don't do well on an exam it helps.

Honestly, coming as a freshman, I was just looking for a 4th class to take. I saw that this fulfilled a requirement and I was interested in religion. However, I joined like 2 weeks late, and I was really behind on the material. Because of this, I did kind of poor on the midterm. However, the way he teaches really prepares you for the exam and I'm pretty sure they grade really leniently on the final. Although others say to start early on the 10-page paper, I did start kind of late (like writing 5 pages til 5am the night before it's due) and I'm pretty sure he graded nicely on that as well. Just show that you're engaged with the communities you're visiting and try to implement what he teaches in class. The tests were somewhat straightforward (sometimes a question or two wasn't covered on the study guide) but he's a great professor and wants you to do well.

I have absolutely no religious background, but really enjoyed Professor Joseph's lectures. Huge paper due at the end of the course. Discussions online. A lot of IDs to memorize. Midterm and final are tough, but I think he's a fair grader.

This class was very enjoyable as the content was very interesting and understandable. Dr. Joseph is a great lecturer and really knows his stuff - he is very informative and is a very nice person. He is very helpful and always willing to answer questions. He doesn't require a textbook, which is nice, and he provides the readings for each class. There's only the midterm, the final, and the final paper that make up your grade, so it's important to do well on all these items. Overall I'd definitely take any class with this professor again!

This class was easy. The information and slides were very straightforward. The professor doesn't allow you to take pictures of the slides and will call you out if you take some, he doesn't record audio or video, doesn't post the slides or weekly schedule, and doesn't send you the slides if you are absent. There are weekly readings but he basically told one of the students that we don't have to read them and he didn't ask about them during class once. He also takes attendance in every class by passing around a sheet of paper and having everyone write their names on it. The midterm was very easy. Final was pretty hard for me, but it's because I didn't study. The final 10-page paper made me suicidal. You have to visit a religious site and compare it with another one in an observational study/report. I waited until the last day to do it so if you start at least a week earlier you'll be fine. He offered two extra credit opportunities on the paper, visiting a second religious site and formally interviewing someone from the site. I ended with an A+ because it was so easy and the information he gave was minimal and exactly what he asked on exams (except for some questions on the final). Take this class if you're going to show up or if you have another friend who goes to the class who will send you notes and write your name on the attendance sheet. Otherwise, if you aren't going to show up, don't take this class.

Religion 110 was an excellent class. Some really engaging conversations lead to camaraderie with classmates. As other reviews say, pay attention to the lecture slides. In exchange for the slides being pretty guarded (though he will show you at office hours if you missed something), the slides actually contain all the info you need to know for the midterm and final. He gives a very comprehensive study guide for each.

Prof. Joseph actually wants his students to learn, and he cares about them as people.

Take this class if you’re willing to do a little work for a great reward—the grading is really generous if you show up and pay attention (not a ton of outside work besides some interesting readings). And the conversations are always thought-provoking. It’s refreshing to have a class where grading is uncomplicated enough to actually enjoy participating. This is one of those classes.